Posted on 03/02/2011 1:32:02 PM PST by Stonewall Jackson
A soldier who had been stationed at Fort Knox for 16 months died Sunday from injuries suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device in Ghazni Province, Afghanistan.
U.S. Army Sgt. Kristopher James Gould, 25, of Saginaw, Mich., was an infantryman assigned to Company B, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Task Force Duke.
He is the first soldier from Task Force Duke to be killed during this deployment.
Gould began military service in March 2003 and arrived at Fort Knox in October 2009.
This was Gould’s third deployment, having served a 12-month tour with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division in Afghanistan from 2008 to 2009 as well as a 15-month tour with the 1st Battalion, 125th Infantry Regiment in Iraq from 2005 to 2006.
“He was the kind of kid who was a great kid in class, the kind of kid that people really got along well with,” said Valley Lutheran High School Principal John Brandt in a story in the Saginaw News. “He was a dedicated soldier.”
“Kris was a kid who loved life,” Brandt added. “He’s just a good guy.”
Gould was a football player and wrestler in high school, according to Brandt.
Gould also was a devout man of faith, Brandt said. “I attended church with him (at Bethlehem Lutheran),” he said. “When he was home on leave he would always be at church.”
Brandt said news of Gould’s death hit some members of the Valley Lutheran faculty particularly hard.
“There are a number of teachers that got choked up when they heard about this,” he said. “If you ever met him, he was the kind of guy you just enjoyed being around. He’d stick his nose in there in football and wrestling and would take his lumps since he wasn’t the biggest guy in the world and come out with a smile on his face.
“I’m sure that he’s going to be missed on many levels.”
Gould’s awards and decorations include Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Overseas Service Ribbon, Combat Infantryman Badge, North Atlantic Treaty Organization Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal for Mobilization and the Army Service Ribbon.
He has been awarded a Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart posthumously.
Fort Knox will hold a Duke Remembrance ceremony in Gould’s honor at a time to be determined. A memorial service is scheduled today in Afghanistan.
Sad news for the Fort Knox community.
Why are we there? So that Karzai and his drug-running cronies can steal more of our money? This is insane.
So sad. RIP soldier, and thank you.
RIP.
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